Is there a name for this technique...?

I've been trying to learn the song Try by John Mayer, and I noticed it wasn't sounding right until I picked up on this. It's a strumming technique... no matter what the rhythm of the melody is, you keep your strumming hand moving at a steady pace, be it eighth notes, sixteenth, whatever. I noticed a lot of the funk guys do this too. Even when they are on a rest, they still do an upstroke or downstroke (but intentionally miss the strings) to keep the groove going. What is this technique called?

It's essentially playing the notes as straight eigth or sixteenth notes. It's a similar concept to tremolo picking, albeit at a generally slower speed. It adds a sort of blurring or energetic feeling to the melody.

Keeps the downstrokes on the down beats and the upstrokes on the up beats. Downstrokes sound different than upstrokes, especially when strumming chords. I've never heard of a name for it. It's like asking: what's the name of the technique for tapping your foot and/or counting beats in your head?

Interesting. Question: If this technique is so commonly taught, then why do so few guitar players actually use it? Maybe "few" is the wrong word, but when you look at the greater scheme of guitar players, people who do this are in the minority. Most people stop strumming completely when they hit a rest.

Interesting. Question: If this technique is so commonly taught, then why do so few guitar players actually use it? Maybe "few" is the wrong word, but when you look at the greater scheme of guitar players, people who do this are in the minority. Most people stop strumming completely when they hit a rest.

Interesting. Question: If this technique is so commonly taught, then why do so few guitar players actually use it? Maybe "few" is the wrong word, but when you look at the greater scheme of guitar players, people who do this are in the minority. Most people stop strumming completely when they hit a rest.

Well, the minority of guitarists are actually good guitarists

But to be honest, it seems like it's the minority of people who don't do this. Take galloping for example. Down, up, down... down, up, down... down, up, down... same concept there. We naturally do what we have to do to keep the downstrokes on the down beats and at the start of measures.

Keeps the downstrokes on the down beats and the upstrokes on the up beats. Downstrokes sound different than upstrokes, especially when strumming chords. I've never heard of a name for it. It's like asking: what's the name of the technique for tapping your foot and/or counting beats in your head?

Downstrokes sound different than upstrokes? Brilliant, who'd have thought! Thanks for this revelation!

I think you're over simplifying this a bit. I'm not talking about simply doing upstrokes and downstrokes. I'm talking about doing a stroke, but not actually playing a note. Doing a stroke on a rest, missing the strings completely.

If you are playing on all up beats for example, and you keep your hand moving during the down strokes and miss the strings deliberately, you will play the up-beat notes with up strokes. However, if you simply do not move during rest, you will likely either play with all down strokes or alternate between down strokes and up strokes. Hence why I said that downstrokes and upstrokes sound different.

Alright, thanks, I think I get what you mean. I still don't understand why you say a minority of guys don't do this though, or maybe I'm just not noticing them do it. It seems usually people strum to the rhythm but don't really keep it straight. I'm talking about famous guitarists too, not just no names on youtube. I guess I have to keep practicing this.

Well, you're certainly not wrong. It definitely depends on the context of the musical situation. Some do, some don't. Some choose to do so at times and choose to not do so at other times. It's just that from what I've experienced, I generally find that people usually keep the downstrokes on the down beats/measure starts, and this usually involves some of this technique you are speaking of.

Sometimes if a tempo is very quick and it would make me uncomfortable to keep my hand moving when not necessary, I will minimize on the movement and keep still during rest. And like I mentioned before, galloping is the same kind of thing. At more relaxed speeds though, I find it nice to keep the flow goin'.

I object to people claiming that this is the "correct" way. Whilst certainly not wrong, it's not correct either. It's simply a method of keeping rhythm, to say it's the correct way is like saying: "dude, you're nodding your head to the rhythm, that's all wrong, you should tap your foot!"The way you keep rhythm is entirely personal imo.